Canine Partners is a registered charity that assists people with disabilities to enjoy a greater independence and quality of life through the provision of specially trained dogs, whose well-being is a key consideration.

Help for Heroes have donated a puppy to Canine Partners and we are delighted to be have so far sponsored 3 dog partnerships through our Quick Reaction Fund with more to come. Canine Partners also have a presence in the Tedworth House support hub, meaning they are on hand to offer advice about being partnered with a dog.

More than 1.2 million people in the UK use a wheelchair, and a significant number of those would benefit from a canine partner.  The dogs are carefully matched to the applicant’s needs and lifestyle, no matter how challenging.  They are trained to help with everyday tasks such as opening and shutting doors, unloading the washing machine, picking up dropped items, pressing buttons and switches and getting help in an emergency.  The Charity aims to train dogs to meet the needs of people with even the most complex disabilities including injured members of HM Armed Forces.

Training the little terrors up:
It takes between 15-18 months to train a canine partner from selection at eight weeks old through puppy training and advanced training until they are partnered with a person with disabilities.  Each partnership has regular visits from the Charity’s aftercare assistants and support and advice are available 24 hours a day.  There are twelve puppy training satellites around Great Britain where the pups are looked after by volunteers under the watchful eye of a Canine Partners’ trainer, and during which time they learn obedience and some early tasks.  They then go to the Charity’s training centre in Heyshott, West Sussex, for five months to learn the advanced task work and to be matched with their future owner.

What these super pups do:
These life transforming dogs not only help their owner accomplish simple day-to-day tasks such as collecting the post, helping them get dressed, doing the shopping, they also provide their owners with physiological, psychological and social benefits. The dogs give their owners and their other halves’ increased independence and confidence as well as increased motivation and self-esteem.  A canine partner also brings companionship, a sense of security and helps to improve social interaction which is why Help for Heroes is featuring Canine Partners as their Grant of the Month. Together we can help improve many injured service men and women’s lives.

 

Why H4H provides grants for canine partners:
Help for Heroes’ grants have successfully paired up three injured servicemen with Canine partners and, to make an understatement, they have had a remarkable impact on their lives. Joe and Jonathon were both fortunate enough to receive a Canine Partner due to the generosity of all those who are donating and all those who have donated money to Help for Heroes. We hope they won’t be the last lucky soldiers to benefit from the scheme. Here are their testimonials, to help give just a little insight into just what your donated money has given to them and what exactly their canine partner means to them.

For further information please visit www.caninepartners.org.uk  or phone 08456 580480.
Registered charity no: 803680 (England and Wales) and SC039050 (Scotland)

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